Windows 8.1 Tip: Move the Location of the SkyDrive Folder

While most agree that the further integration of SkyDrive into Windows 8.1 is a good thing, some have been griping that there's no way to change the location of the SkyDrive folder. But it turns out you can very easily change where your SkyDrive files sync. You just need to know the secret.

As a recap, Microsoft has integrated SkyDrive more deeply than ever in Windows 8.1. As I wrote previously in Hands-On with Windows 8.1: SkyDrive Integration, SkyDrive file sync is on by default and can be managed from a new PC Settings-based interface. No separately installable app is required.

But there is a downside to this integration. With the previous solution, the SkyDrive desktop app, you could configure where SkyDrive synced its files. On modern PC devices with relatively small amounts of solid state storage, the inability to do so in Windows 8.1 can be an issue. Before, you could tell SkyDrive to sync to micro-SD storage or some other location.

But it turns out you can do this in Windows 8.1, too. You just can't do it from that shiny new PC Settings interface.

Instead, you can configure this from the good old Windows desktop. In the default This PC view, right-click on SkyDrive in the navigation pane and select Properties. Then, navigate to the Location tab. Yep, this is the place.

To change the location where SkyDrive syncs its files, simply click the Move button and choose a new location. It's that simple.